October 16, 2025 • 34 mins
We talk with Kathryn Lehman about running a clean, disciplined campaign, why trial court experience matters, and what real accountability looks like for OUR County. From fentanyl to bail policy to youth prevention, we dig into how a judge can be both firm and fair without politics in the courtroom.
• Primary win and staying calm amid mudslinging
• Endorsements across law enforcement and unions
• What a Court of Common Pleas judge actually does
• Jury duty, evidence rulings and appeals
• The largest county fentanyl seizure and safety
• Degrees of murder explained in plain language
• Youth outreach on sexting and consequences
• Rehabilitation, reentry and smart alternatives
• Bail decisions grounded in public safety
• Contrast in trial experience with the opponent
• Why respect and the robe still matter
Get out and vote. November 4th. Everybody in the county can vote. Democrat, Independent, Republican, doesn't matter who you are. YOU can pull the lever for Kathryn Lehman.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Okay, here we go.
(00:00):
You ready?
SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (00:02):
Alright, here we go.
From real estate the market as awhole, which then sometimes will
affect the thing.
Right, you know the real life.
We all learn it.
If you think about it, WayneDyer might not attract everybody
and everything in between.
SPEAKER_04 (00:20):
Mission was really to help people just to reach
their full potential.
SPEAKER_02 (00:23):
The Brad Wiseman show.
And now your host, Brad Wiseman.
All right, we're back againtonight.
Thanks for checking us out everyThursday, Hugo.
SPEAKER_03 (00:35):
That's right.
SPEAKER_02 (00:36):
Every Thursday.
Are you getting sick of me?
SPEAKER_03 (00:39):
No, no.
SPEAKER_02 (00:39):
You're not?
How could I?
Oh, that's very sweet.
That's so sweet.
It's not what you were inviting.
SPEAKER_03 (00:44):
Not pay me my money.
Yeah, exactly.
I actually did get an invoicelast night.
SPEAKER_02 (00:48):
I guess that's why he said that.
Holy crap.
Um, but no, we got a repeatguest here today.
You know that?
SPEAKER_03 (00:54):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (00:54):
Yes, yes.
It's actually very interestingbecause um she was here just a
little bit ago.
I'm gonna say a couple monthsago, and uh she was going up for
a candidate to be judge, uh Comeand Please, I believe it is,
Come and Please Judge, uh, forBerks County.
She actually won uh theRepublican uh candidacy for um
(01:17):
Come and Please Judge, and shewill be going up against Eric
Taylor, who is the Democratcandidate.
So, Catherine Lehman, welcomeback to the studio.
SPEAKER_00 (01:25):
Thank you so much for having me back.
SPEAKER_02 (01:27):
Yes, this is great.
So, congratulations.
SPEAKER_00 (01:30):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (01:31):
Yeah, so I you know, we've talked a little bit since
then, couple couple differentplaces we we've bumped into each
other, and um that had to be anincredible night.
SPEAKER_00 (01:39):
It was.
SPEAKER_02 (01:40):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
It's stressful, um, but very rewarding.
SPEAKER_02 (01:44):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:45):
And we are just happy to be on the other side of
it.
SPEAKER_02 (01:48):
Yeah, I bet.
Um do you did you think that youwould win?
You won by a pretty good, prettygood amount, I would say.
SPEAKER_00 (01:56):
Did I think that I was going to win?
SPEAKER_02 (01:58):
Well, you knew you're gonna go, you know you're
you you go into it winning, Iwould think.
You're gonna win, you're gonnawin.
But was there a time that nightwhere you thought you weren't
gonna win?
SPEAKER_00 (02:08):
So I did my very best not to ever look at any of
the numbers until they werepretty close to being in.
But we got we had a watch party,and when we had our watch party,
I went in and I said to all myuh family and friends that were
there, whether we win or losetonight, I'm really proud of the
campaign that we ran.
I'm really proud of the workthat we put in from people that
(02:31):
we met who were like, Hey, howcan we help?
Like, you seem like an awesomeperson, and that just really
meant a lot to me.
SPEAKER_01 (02:38):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:38):
Um, so that night, sure, there's always that
possibility that you're notgoing to win, but I tried not to
look at anything until like mostof the precincts had reported
because Yeah, because it goesall over the place.
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (02:49):
And it's also because of different precincts
and how they're represented andthings like that.
Yeah.
But uh yeah, but it wasnerve-wracking.
Biting your nails, any kind ofthat kind of stuff?
SPEAKER_00 (02:59):
No, I was fairly calm, um, just because, like I
said, we did all the hard workthat we could do.
Um, there wasn't anything thatI, you know, thought back on
that said, oh, I wish I wouldhave done that, or I should have
put more energy into this.
SPEAKER_02 (03:11):
So when you got there, you were like, you know
what?
We did it all.
SPEAKER_00 (03:15):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (03:16):
If if this doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.
SPEAKER_04 (03:18):
That's a that's a great feeling to have to know it
that you gave it your best.
Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (03:22):
Because you can go to bed at night.
SPEAKER_00 (03:23):
Yes.
Knowing and so when my husbandand I decided that we were going
to to do this campaign, we said,we are going to run a clean
campaign, we are going to run aprofessional campaign, and we're
not going to ruin ourreputations.
We both have very goodreputations in the community,
and this campaign is going to bea reflection of that.
And so on May 20th, I felt veryconfident in the campaign that
(03:46):
we had put forward and knowingthat we were professionals
through and through, that wewere kind people through and
through, and that's all we coulddo.
SPEAKER_02 (03:54):
Yeah.
Because there was some mudslinging.
SPEAKER_00 (03:56):
There was.
SPEAKER_02 (03:57):
There was.
Hugo, did you hear about the mudslinging?
SPEAKER_03 (04:00):
But mud slinging.
What mud slinging.
SPEAKER_02 (04:02):
Do you know what that means?
SPEAKER_03 (04:04):
Yes, I I think so.
SPEAKER_02 (04:06):
Because you weren't sure about just ice.
So it wasn't.
That was a joke before we wentlive.
Yeah.
But no, because sometimes itdoesn't translate well,
whatever.
But mud sling.
There was.
There was some definitely somecontroversy, some drama and
things like that.
I think almost every election atsome point you're gonna have
that.
Uh, unfortunately.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (04:24):
Uh and I didn't realize that they were busting
on on the the good guy righthere in front of me.
That's unbelievable.
What did what could anybody buston guy for?
SPEAKER_00 (04:33):
Well, I'm not sure.
Um, one, he's not running foranything.
So This is true.
SPEAKER_02 (04:37):
That's right, yeah.
He'll run from something, butnot towards it, right?
SPEAKER_00 (04:40):
Well, you don't think he generally is running
towards danger, which we're veryappreciative.
That's right.
SPEAKER_02 (04:47):
Are you still like a cop or a fire department?
Or what you're you're all that.
SPEAKER_00 (04:52):
He's with the sheriff's office.
He's the captain.
SPEAKER_02 (04:53):
So you do run towards stuff.
SPEAKER_00 (04:55):
He's the captain of the warrants and the canine
unit.
So yeah, he runs uh towards alot of very serious situations.
SPEAKER_02 (05:01):
I run away.
I run away from that stuff.
That's what I do.
That's okay.
That's the same thing.
Yeah, that's right.
It's all right.
That's exactly right.
So so no, so uh we were whatwere you talking about there?
Oh, yeah, there was a lot ofthere was mudslinging and stuff
like that.
Did that calm down right afterthe election then?
SPEAKER_00 (05:13):
Yes.
Yeah, okay and that felt verygood.
Um my campaign neverparticipated in any mud
slinging, we were never part ofit.
We never said one bad word aboutany other candidate.
And that was something that wesaid from the very beginning.
SPEAKER_01 (05:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (05:28):
Um, when we decided to run, I said, I don't do that
in my personal life.
I'm not gonna do it in thiscampaign.
Um, and that was something thatmy team I made stick to.
That was the worst part ofrunning.
And every morning I would wakeup and the first thing I would
do was check Facebook and it wasfor negative comments.
And that really that's really ashame.
(05:49):
It's um because again, I'm notrunning on anything other than
my qualifications andexperience.
And if that resonates with thepublic and they want that in
their next judge, that's all Ican do.
SPEAKER_01 (06:03):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (06:04):
So that really the mudslinging really takes effect
on a person.
And you know, they say As muchas you try and ignore it, right?
Absolutely.
People can say ignore it, but itreally I'm not a terribly
emotional person in in that kindof aspect, but it still weighs
on you.
And people would send randompeople would say F you, like
send emails saying F you.
(06:24):
When of course they wereanonymous, but like That's
crazy.
SPEAKER_02 (06:27):
Yeah, you know, I don't even know you.
Yeah, it's not necessary.
SPEAKER_00 (06:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (06:31):
And also I think sometimes when you um when
somebody is is dissing somebodythat you care for, you know, you
it's a lot of times you can takeit yourself if it's about you,
but when you start busting on,they always say like I as as
somebody it's a a parent.
You know, when somebody somebodybusts on my kids, it's a lot
different than busting on me.
Right.
Or my wife.
If they bust my wife, if theybust on me, it's like, okay,
(06:54):
whatever.
You know, it's fine.
But when it gets to the nextlevel, that's not cool.
And I believe in that in allpolitics, you see people that
bring the children into um, youknow, into the the the whole uh
drama, and it's just not right.
SPEAKER_00 (07:07):
Right, it's not right, and like I said, it my
husband is not running foranything, so yeah, um I don't
understand why why we're I don'tmean this disrespectfully to
him, but why are we talkingabout him?
Oh man.
Um he's not running hisqualifications, his background,
whatever.
That's not I'm not gonna callhim every time I have to make a
decision.
Well, of course not.
(07:27):
Yeah, don't do that now.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (07:29):
Oh, of course she doesn't.
He's like she never has.
SPEAKER_00 (07:33):
But so all that to say, like you can say what you
want about me if you don't agreewith my experience, you don't
agree with my qualifications,you don't agree with what I
stand for.
That's fair game.
But he doesn't have the voice.
He does he's not coming on yourpodcast to explain his side of
the story.
And so I think that's reallyunfortunate way of politics.
SPEAKER_02 (07:51):
You know what was interesting too, I saw during
the last when when you gonethrough the elections, is
sometimes even you're not evenstirring the pot for the other
candidate.
It's people that are supportingyou that stir the pot.
Yes and you and you really can'tcontrol that.
Right.
That's a little tough.
But but it's it's like it'sanything in life.
If you can't control it, thenwhat are you gonna do?
(08:12):
That's the way it is.
Right.
That's the way it is.
So moving on.
So the mudslinging questionsover with, we're done with that.
So when is the next, when's thenext election?
SPEAKER_00 (08:19):
November 4th.
SPEAKER_02 (08:20):
November 4th.
SPEAKER_00 (08:20):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (08:21):
Okay, so getting back, who is now supporting you?
I do you still have the supportof John Adams and Eric Weeknick,
all those people?
SPEAKER_00 (08:27):
Yes.
Um, so John Adams, our districtattorney still supporting me,
Eric Weeknick, our staterepresentative.
And I recently, as of lastnight, received the county
fraternal order of policeendorsement.
SPEAKER_01 (08:40):
Oh, cool.
SPEAKER_00 (08:40):
Yeah, so that's a very exciting.
So I have the City of ReadingFraternal Order of Police, the
State Police, and now ourcounty.
And I also recently received thePlumbers Union endorsement.
Nice.
So that's really excitingbecause that usually goes to a
Democrat-leaning candidate.
And so I had the opportunity tospeak in front of them, and um,
(09:01):
I'm really honored to have that.
That's everyday lives.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (09:05):
You got that right.
You got that right.
I'm telling you what, plumbers,man, they get paid more than
anybody now these days.
Isn't it incredible?
Seriously.
You look what they make perhour, it's unbelievable.
Yes.
We need more people in thetrades.
It's definitely a little plugfor the trades.
So when you when you we canexplain this a little bit now,
because when when you were herelast time, we were telling
everybody, look, there's nothere's no Republican or
Democrat involved.
(09:26):
But what happened after theelection is that there was more
Republicans that voted for youthan Democrats.
But you also had a really goodturnout of Democrats voting for
you.
So that that's what determinedyou as being the Republican
candidate for, you know,Republican candidate for judge.
SPEAKER_00 (09:42):
That's correct.
SPEAKER_02 (09:43):
Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00 (09:44):
Yes.
So I had the most total votes,Democrat and Republican, but I
had more, I only had the mostRepublican votes, if that makes
sense.
So I am the Republicancandidate, but I did have a
decent amount of Democratcandidates, but my my one
opponent obviously received theDemocrat candidacy.
Sure.
So um and I'm really proud ofthat.
(10:06):
I'm really proud that I had themost overall because I'm not a
politically motivated person.
I am a do the right thingperson.
Um the court of common pleas, Ithink a lot of people get
confused on it.
It is a trial judge position.
So politics have zero place inthat courtroom.
So when they're you're coming infor a criminal case or you're
(10:27):
coming in for a custody case,you, the victim or the defendant
or whatever party you are inthat court system, you should
not know what party affiliationyour judge is.
And if you do, that judge isdoing something wrong.
SPEAKER_02 (10:41):
Yeah, yeah, I agree with you.
Yeah, and and it's fun.
I think what happens is in thespotlight is federal judges.
SPEAKER_00 (10:48):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (10:48):
And what we see in the media is the Supreme Court
justices and all this stuff.
And and what happens is I thinkthey everybody thinks that every
judge situation is the same way.
And it's not.
SPEAKER_00 (10:59):
It's not.
So the Superior Court andSupreme Court, even just in
Pennsylvania, you do know theirparty affiliation because they
are the ones makinginterpreting.
Interpreting.
That's not the position I'mrunning for.
You're not interpreting the law.
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (11:13):
You're you're you're saying somebody's guilty or not
guilty, but there's also the theyou have the we talked about
this, the jurors.
SPEAKER_04 (11:19):
The jury, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (11:19):
Yeah, the jury.
SPEAKER_00 (11:20):
Right.
I think the best way to explaincourt accompanies is most people
aren't coming into the courtsystem because they're either
victims of crimes or chargedwith a crime or going through a
divorce.
They're not.
That's generally people are notcoming into the courthouse.
Most people are coming into thecourthouse because they received
a summons to appear for juryduty.
SPEAKER_02 (11:39):
Uh yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:40):
The dreaded jury duty.
I don't dread it.
SPEAKER_02 (11:43):
I I think it's cool.
I mean, to me, it if I can get acouple days off and be be
involved in the way our systemworks, to me, it would be very
interesting.
SPEAKER_00 (11:52):
Well, we need more people like you.
SPEAKER_02 (11:53):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:54):
Um, but I think a lot of people feel that way
because they don't know what'sgoing to happen.
SPEAKER_01 (11:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:58):
And so it is a big decision to say one of your
fellow residents of Berks Countyis guilty of a serious crime.
Yeah.
That's a big deal.
SPEAKER_01 (12:08):
Yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_00 (12:09):
I don't mean to downplay it, but that's why I'm
running for judge.
Because we need a judge, and wehave very good judges, but
there's an open seat, and Ithink we need to fill that with
another judge who has trialexperience.
Because if you think about it asa scenario, you come in for jury
duty on and you don't know whatyou're coming in for, but when
you get to the courtroom, theysay, Oh, this individual is
(12:31):
charged with first degreemurder.
SPEAKER_01 (12:32):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:33):
Most people in Pennsylvania know that if I say
they're guilty, they're going tojail for the rest of their life.
Or it could be a death penaltycase.
That's a big deal.
SPEAKER_02 (12:42):
Yeah.
That's a pretty bigresponsibility.
SPEAKER_00 (12:44):
So you as the juror, you want to know all the
evidence.
SPEAKER_02 (12:48):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:49):
You want to make sure that the judge is allowing
the appropriate evidence in thatthey're excluding evidence that
shouldn't be used against thedefendant, that they understand
the rules of criminal procedure.
So that way we're proceedingaccordingly.
And that when it comes time tolisten to the jury instructions
on the law and put the factswith that law, that you have a
(13:11):
judge who can explain it becauseit's a big deal to say guilty or
not guilty, guilty for thatperson who's facing that charge
and not guilty for the victimand their family.
That's a huge weight onsomebody.
And I don't think you get ajudge who hasn't done those
things in court in front of ajury before.
(13:32):
So you have I practice the rulesof evidence every single day.
I go to court every day and I'mheld to a standard of being able
to admit evidence.
And it's not just like, hey, Iwant to introduce this and I
don't have the right people andthe rules don't allow for it.
You have to know, and you haveto be able, a judge has to be
able to make a decision on thespot and make sure it's going to
(13:54):
hold up by the superior court.
SPEAKER_02 (13:56):
Yeah.
Yeah, it's interesting.
Yeah, because that's you'reright, because then it's also
your reputation.
If it does get appealed or goesup to the to the superior court,
then that's and then it gets ifthat gets changed, then that
doesn't look good for you.
SPEAKER_00 (14:09):
It doesn't look good for me.
And guess what?
If we if I, as a prosecutor,make a really poor decision and
I get the judge to go along withsomething that shouldn't have
been admitted in, we're tryingthat case again.
Yeah.
That's a lot of money on thecourt system.
The tox pay, yeah.
Yeah, jeez.
Here we go.
Plus, like let's say that that Idid something wrong.
(14:30):
Well, now I've held someone injail for an extended period of
time who maybe shouldn't havebeen in jail in the first place.
SPEAKER_02 (14:36):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (14:36):
So the job is very serious.
SPEAKER_02 (14:39):
Why the hell do you want to do this?
I'm listening to this going, youshould just stick with where you
are.
SPEAKER_00 (14:48):
I want to do this because I love Berks County.
I grew up here and we needjudges because I want to go to
Target and be safe when I gothere.
And I want to I want my familyto be able to do that.
And I don't, you know, duringthis campaign, people are like,
oh, well, all the crime happensin the city.
That's not true.
SPEAKER_01 (15:06):
No, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (15:06):
And we need to be able to be safe.
And the only way we can do thatis by holding people
accountable.
Now, accountable means a lot ofdifferent things, but it always
means taking ownership forwhatever mistake you made.
SPEAKER_02 (15:19):
Yeah.
Um, and so it's interesting yousaid about the the if you ever I
always look in the newspaperwhen there's these big drug
busts, you know, things likethat.
And it's amazing how many peopledon't live in the city.
SPEAKER_01 (15:28):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (15:29):
In those drug busts.
You'll see Sinking Spring,you'll see Wulmelsdorf, you'll
see Rabazzoni, you'll see allthese different places, and it's
amazing.
But a lot of them are not in thecity.
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (15:40):
They're right, they're your neighbor.
They're your neighborhood.
Yes, yes.
But no, it's crazy.
It's really crazy.
So you speaking of that, youactually were the lead
prosecutor on Berks County'slargest fentanyl bus.
SPEAKER_00 (15:52):
That's correct.
That's incredible.
Yes, it was an awesomeexperience.
Um, we seized over four kilos offentanyl.
SPEAKER_02 (15:59):
Which could kill the whole county, probably.
SPEAKER_00 (16:01):
Oh, yeah, it only takes 0.03 grams.
Um, that's enough to fit in likeyour fingernail.
That is incredible.
And that's enough to kill you.
Um so we executed a searchwarrant, seized um four kilos of
fentanyl, a ton of cocaine, aton of synthetic.
So, and I don't I won't go offon a tangent too much, but I
(16:23):
don't know what you know aboutsynthetic cannabinoids.
Um, but they used to call itsynthetic marijuana.
SPEAKER_01 (16:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (16:28):
And it's a leaf that you put out and then they sp
spray it with formaldehyde.
And then and then people smokeit.
This individual was spraying itwith fentanyl.
So people who believe that theywere just going and buying
synthetic marijuana were buyingsynthetic cannabinoids that was
laced with fentanyl.
SPEAKER_02 (16:46):
So kill them, they're done.
SPEAKER_00 (16:47):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (16:47):
That's crazy.
Yes, unbelievable.
That's amazing.
Why and my thing I was thinkingabout with that, why do they
want to do that?
They're killing their customer.
You know what I mean?
Like that's like, hey, I'm gonnago buy an apple and I'm gonna
poison it.
Well, guess what?
I'm not buying any more applesthen.
SPEAKER_00 (17:01):
Unfortunately, sometimes fentanyl users, heroin
users, they build up a toleranceand that 0.03 won't kill them.
And so it gives them a differentthing.
SPEAKER_02 (17:11):
So they do build up a tolerance for that.
Oh, yeah.
Unbelievable.
SPEAKER_04 (17:14):
You know, you know what?
See what we're saying.
That maybe if I was a drugdealer, the reason why I will do
that is to introduce you to thedrug, maybe to get you hooked
into that.
SPEAKER_02 (17:24):
Yeah, I get it.
Yeah, and that's what they do.
SPEAKER_00 (17:25):
I that's we don't need any new ideas.
I saw, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_02 (17:32):
So uh Hugo's gonna be going to rehab next week.
Oh my goodness.
No, that's that's veryinteresting.
Very interesting.
So what um so you're candid.
You're you're the guy thatyou're going against.
Okay.
What's what are the differencesbetween the two?
I think a lot of it is the trialexperience that you're bringing
up.
That is that you have thatexperience, and your and your
(17:52):
opponent does not really havethat kind of experience.
SPEAKER_00 (17:55):
That's correct.
SPEAKER_02 (17:56):
Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00 (17:56):
Yeah, so I um we both worked in the public
defender's office or um I workedthere for five years.
I don't know exactly how long hewas over five years, so I don't
know exactly his years.
Um, and then I went to thedistrict attorney's office,
which is a different transition.
Um, but that kind of plays intomy social work background that
we talked a little bit aboutlast time.
SPEAKER_01 (18:16):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (18:17):
And so I'm the only candidate who's gone been a
district attorney.
I'm the only candidate who'sheld individuals accountable for
their actions, um, who'sprosecuted a case.
And the big thing about that iswhenever I go into the
courtroom, I have the burden.
The Commonwealth always bearsthe burden of proving someone
(18:37):
guilty.
And that's not an easy task.
And I don't mean to pat myselfon the back, but it's not an
easy task.
And I think even moreimportantly, is all of my
convictions have been upheld onappeal, meaning they've been
found guilty by a jury.
That individual appealed, andthe superior court said, nope,
(18:59):
the law was correct, and what Idid was correct.
And so I think that's really mybiggest selling point on me is
I'm following the law as it'swritten every single day.
Like again, this isn't apolitical thing for me.
This isn't a a stepping stone.
This is what I do every day.
SPEAKER_02 (19:15):
It's a pra you've been practicing this.
SPEAKER_00 (19:17):
Practicing it in the district attorney's office for
over nine years.
SPEAKER_02 (19:21):
As opposed to when somebody I mean, I know that
your opponent, I guess, is whatis it called?
A magisterial?
What is that the the district isit a district court or
something?
SPEAKER_00 (19:29):
So magisterial district justice is um just so
we know the difference betweenthe two two.
Magisterial district justice isthe lowest level, then the court
of common police, and then it'sthe superior court and supreme
court in Pennsylvania.
Magisterial district judge,they're all throughout Berks
County.
Yeah.
Um, in your area that you learn.
SPEAKER_02 (19:46):
That's where I used to go to evict tenants.
SPEAKER_00 (19:48):
Yes.
When you evict tenants onlybecause they weren't paying.
SPEAKER_02 (19:50):
It wasn't like I was like some badass or something.
No, it was when they weren'tpaying, and then I would have to
do and I didn't like doing it,but I would have to go there.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (19:58):
Yeah.
So and that you don't have to bea lawyer to do that position.
So anyone who lives in that areaand is an adult can run for
magisterial district judge.
SPEAKER_01 (20:08):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (20:08):
The Court of Common Please, like I said, is the
trial judge, and then SuperiorCourt reviews what the trial
court has done.
Gotcha, gotcha.
Yeah.
Wow.
So even Brad could be that kindof judge.
SPEAKER_02 (20:17):
Yeah, I could be uh Yeah, we don't want we don't
think I'm good.
SPEAKER_00 (20:21):
MDP.
SPEAKER_02 (20:22):
I don't think I'd like I don't think I'd like to
wear the robe.
I just so let's talk about that.
What's the deal with the robe?
SPEAKER_00 (20:29):
I don't know.
SPEAKER_02 (20:31):
Is that just from back in the George Washington
days?
Like that's what they wore?
Yeah, and then Thank God theygot rid of the guys wearing the
room.
SPEAKER_00 (20:37):
Well, I was told I have to do that.
SPEAKER_02 (20:39):
No, oh my God.
No, that's crazy.
I need one of those, but youknow, but no, but the robe is
just I I think in my mind when Iwas thinking about asking that
question earlier today, I waslike, yeah, what's the deal with
the robe?
And I think maybe what it is isis to differentiate you from
everybody else.
SPEAKER_00 (20:56):
Right.
And I think it's a symbol of impimportance, and I don't mean
that in import what you mean.
There's a a standard when youcome into the courtroom that you
know right.
SPEAKER_02 (21:06):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:07):
And unfortunately, I think we're getting away from
that.
So I like the the robe in thataspect.
Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_02 (21:12):
Oh no, I'm not saying I don't like it.
SPEAKER_00 (21:13):
No, I know, but I think I think, you know, so
often we've become so casual inthink about when COVID hit and
everyone was doing, you know,Zoom or Teams and people were
showing up in their pajamas.
And um, I'm sure everyone hasseen the video of the lawyer who
was couldn't change their filterfrom a cat, and and obviously
that was a a mistake, but we'vebecome so casual that I think
(21:36):
the courtroom is still somethingthat represents like the
seriousness of why you're inthere.
Because it's not a it's not acommonplace.
SPEAKER_02 (21:44):
And there is like a whole I've I've been in
courtrooms as as a witness, notas anything bad.
But um been in courtrooms andand it's you know, I think it's
cool how it's uh it's definitelya way that you address they
address the the judge and thingslike that.
And it's funny to see thatbecause you always think of
attorneys as being like, youknow, and all of a sudden
they're like, Your Honor.
(22:04):
Yes, they're like, you know,like cowering, Your Honor, yes,
sir, no, sir.
You know what I mean?
It's just funny.
Right.
But it's cool, it's a respect.
Yeah, yeah, I get it, totallyget it.
So uh any you have a question,don't you, there?
SPEAKER_03 (22:15):
I have many questions, but I'm going to
limit myself.
SPEAKER_02 (22:17):
You're not gonna do any more jokes, are you?
SPEAKER_04 (22:19):
No, no, no, no.
Uh okay.
Something I never understood wasum the different degrees when
when life is taken.
I know there's like murder,there's homicide, there's first
degree, there's second degree,but I never knew what makes one
or the other.
SPEAKER_00 (22:35):
Okay.
So one of the things you justsaid, murder and homicide,
they're kind of synonymous.
Homicide means the intentionalkilling by another.
Oh, okay.
So um, so suicide would be theintentional killing of oneself,
homicide is the intentionalkilling by another.
So murder of the first degree isthe intentional killing of
(22:57):
another person.
Uh, murder of the second degreeis, for instance, it's usually a
felony is committed and induring occurrence of that
felony, someone dies.
So, like you go in and you planto just rob the gas station.
And during the process, you endup killing the clerk.
Your plan wasn't to kill theclerk, but in the commission of
(23:20):
committing that robbery, you'vekilled the clerk.
Oh, okay.
It was not premeditated.
Right.
And then there's third-degreemurder, which is you caused the
death of someone else.
It wasn't premeditated, but youacted in with a cold heart, so
to speak, and they don't meanlike callous.
They mean like you weren'tplanning it, but you meant when
(23:43):
you fired that gun, you shouldhave known that it was going to
kill someone, but you didn'tmean like you didn't set out
that day to go kill that person.
Gotcha.
SPEAKER_02 (23:52):
Gotcha.
SPEAKER_00 (23:53):
So they call it a wickedness of the heart.
SPEAKER_02 (23:55):
Okay.
Wickedness of the heart.
There's one.
Yeah, don't do that.
SPEAKER_00 (23:58):
It's like a subject.
SPEAKER_02 (23:59):
Don't do that, Hugo.
No, no.
No wickedness of the heart overthere.
SPEAKER_04 (24:03):
Now, I have one more question.
When I have always thought ingrowing up in Guatemala, the
exposure to both the crimes andthe processing of the of the
perpetrator was a little bitmore raw.
And I always I always thought,like, uh is there is there such
(24:23):
a thing as as um exposing, isthere such a thing as a program
to show young men theconsequences of of certain
actions?
Because I always thought, youknow, I was exposed to that in
Guatemala.
But here I I I don't know ifit's if there's there's some
things that for whatever reasonit cannot be done.
(24:44):
But I was I when police came tomy school to speak, it was it
was serious and it it made mereally open my eyes.
I wonder if there's you meanlike kind of telling them what
what what happens if you do thisas a yeah or even allowing them
to come into the courtroom tosee sentencing or something like
that.
I don't know, but it was it wasjust a thought.
(25:05):
It's a good good question.
SPEAKER_00 (25:06):
It's um we don't do a and I don't know why, to be
honest with you.
I think that's a great point.
We do um the district attorney'soffice does go into schools and
we talk about um unfortunately,we have to talk a lot about a
teenager sending naked images ofthemselves or their kids don't
get that, yes, and theeverlasting consequences of of
(25:29):
doing that.
So that's really where we do alot of our outreach because
there's just so many It happensall the time.
Yeah, it happens all the time.
It's um can put you on the sexoffender registry and you can be
16 years old and really haveruined your life um because you
technically have sent childpornography.
SPEAKER_02 (25:50):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (25:50):
Um and so imagine students dead just that just
happened recently at a school.
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (25:56):
There's a there's uh obviously no names or anything
like that, but um yeah, it'sthere's a guy that that's
getting nailed with that.
And it was they did pictures,they did, you know, other
things, and it's just stupid.
SPEAKER_00 (26:06):
Yeah, and obviously I'm not talking about the the
situations where a teacher or astaff member might be
inappropriate, but like you're16 having a relationship with a
15-year-old, and you're that'sit, you're screwed.
And so we do a lot of outreachas as it relates to that type of
crime.
Um, I do think, and maybe I'mmaybe I'm wrong on it, but I do
think that a lot of people knowin Pennsylvania, like in Berks
(26:29):
County, the consequences forshooting a gun or like a murder,
something like that.
Most people seem to know likethat's a life sentence.
SPEAKER_02 (26:40):
And um But for other things, I think you're right.
Like just like stealing and likestuff that's stealing or getting
into drugs and getting caughtwith drugs.
What does that mean?
What does that look like?
I mean, it's not like you'reyou're not killing somebody, but
I think sometimes maybe kidsdon't know, or young adults
don't miss that know that you'rescrewing up your life.
SPEAKER_00 (26:59):
So I actually had a case um where it was a teenager
charged with with first degreemurder, and there were three of
them, and and two fired down themiddle of the street, and one of
them I had the opportunity tospeak to, and I said, What if
someone would have walked out oftheir house or like a car was
driving by and they said, Oh, Inever thought about that.
And I'm believable.
(27:20):
But that's the the problem.
They were 16 years old, and thethought that their bullet won't
go to their intended targetrather than hit someone randomly
was really crazy.
It's crazy.
SPEAKER_04 (27:34):
Catherine, Catherine, one last question.
I know one last question.
So are are you either as aprosecutor or as a judge, will
you have the opportunity, youknow, how whenever, despite your
position, your involvement inthe case, that you want to talk
to that person, whether it's theperpetrator or the victim, not
as uh not as uh an officialposition, but just from human to
(27:55):
human.
Like when you see, you know, thethe shame or or you know what a
shame it is that a person areyou as a persecutor allowed to
say, hey, to give a personal mmessage or to have a personal
conversation?
SPEAKER_00 (28:10):
So I can't talk to somebody if they're represented
by a defense attorney.
But one of the things, and andlike I said, we did I'm pretty
sure we discussed it last timeis I actually was a social
worker before I went to thepublic defender's office, and
then I went to the DA's office.
And the reason I switched fromthe public defender's office to
the district attorney's officeum is because I was still
relying on someone else in thedistrict attorney's office to
(28:32):
make a good decision for what Iperceived as someone who had a
fighting chance at life and theywere just still at a bad hand
initially.
SPEAKER_01 (28:40):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (28:41):
So um, what I do now is if that defense attorney can
bring me something and saying,hey, this 18-year-old is really
trying hard, this is theirsituation, yeah.
What do you want from them?
I generally say, I want them,you know.
I've had a unfortunately I'vehad a couple 18-year-olds who
are still high school students.
So I say, I want them tograduate.
I want them to have a plan forafter they graduate.
(29:03):
I don't care what the plan is,military, vocation, college, go
right into the they have to havea plan in place.
And then from there, what is itthat caused that underlying
behavior?
Because if we just put them in ajob, well, we're we haven't
addressed the issue.
So what is it that's causingthem to be in this situation?
(29:24):
And that's where my social workcomes into play.
And that's something that noteveryone in our office handles
it that way, but that'ssomething that I hope to be able
to bring to the bench because itgreat.
That was rehabilitation.
Right.
It has to be about that.
SPEAKER_02 (29:38):
Yeah.
Otherwise, they're just it'sjust a revolving door.
It keeps coming in and goingout.
SPEAKER_00 (29:42):
If you put someone in jail for one month, what does
that do?
It makes them lose their house,it makes them lose their job,
and now we as taxpayers aresupporting that.
So let's find the appropriateremedy.
I'm not saying that people won'tgo to jail.
I've put a lot of people in jailfor a lot of and I'm very I
don't want to say I'm proud ofit.
Well, there's people thatbelieve that.
SPEAKER_02 (30:00):
I mean that's some of the problem today in our
society is that I think we gotoo far the other way sometimes.
We're letting people out.
SPEAKER_00 (30:07):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (30:08):
You know, the no cash bail and all that stuff you
hear about, you know.
It's just not it it doesn'twork.
SPEAKER_00 (30:13):
It does not work.
And those people who and I thinkthat is a huge thing that sets
me apart from my opponent.
I do not agree with those bailconditions.
We had an individual at theBerkshire Mall who raped a
16-year-old.
SPEAKER_01 (30:28):
Ugh.
SPEAKER_00 (30:28):
That guy got out the same day he was arranged.
SPEAKER_02 (30:31):
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00 (30:32):
That's unacceptable.
SPEAKER_02 (30:33):
That's that was the imagine that being your
16-year-old.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (30:36):
That is a threat to our community.
SPEAKER_02 (30:38):
Absolutely.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (30:39):
Those are not the individuals I'm I'm talking
about in terms of I gotcha,yeah.
You know, but those sufferingfrom drug addiction and mental
health, like let's get themtreatment.
So we're not figured out.
You know, we as taxpayers aren'tcontinuing to support that.
SPEAKER_02 (30:51):
Yeah, no, it's good stuff.
Good stuff.
There you go.
So to wrap this up, why don'tyou, you know, if you want to
give us your um, you know, yourcandidate speech or you want to
just say a couple things to tothe audience and say, hey, this
is why you should vote for me orwhatever, that'd be great.
SPEAKER_00 (31:05):
Sure.
So um one, thank you very muchfor having me back on.
SPEAKER_02 (31:09):
You're very welcome.
SPEAKER_00 (31:09):
Um, but I think most importantly, this is a trial
judge position.
And so when you come into court,you want a judge who has been
there, who's done it, whounderstands the law, and can
explain it to you in a way soyou are making, as a juror,
making an informed decisionbecause somebody's life on
either side is on the in thebalance there.
(31:30):
Um, whether it's family court orcivil court, if you have a
business, you want a judge whocan explain the law so you are
getting you know that you'regetting a fair shake.
Uh family court, the samesituation.
You don't want a judge who'sparty politics.
And you want someone who hasheld the burden and owned the
burden and done it successfully.
And again, my convictions havenever been overturned.
(31:53):
I've been involved in over 50murder cases.
SPEAKER_01 (31:55):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (31:56):
That's a lot of murder cases.
Too many.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (31:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (31:59):
Um, and so I think that trial experience really
sets me apart from my opponent.
SPEAKER_01 (32:05):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (32:06):
And I think, again, like I said, well, like you
said, we can't have these cashbail situations.
We need to be, you know, holdingindividuals accountable.
SPEAKER_02 (32:15):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Well, I I think, I mean, you gotmy vote.
I think we said that before.
You got my vote.
I appreciate you coming backtoo.
Thank you.
And I wish you the best.
November 4th.
SPEAKER_00 (32:24):
November 4th.
SPEAKER_02 (32:25):
Get out and vote.
And that's everybody in thecounty can vote.
SPEAKER_00 (32:28):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (32:28):
Everybody in the county.
SPEAKER_00 (32:30):
Democrat, independent, republican, doesn't
matter who you are.
SPEAKER_02 (32:32):
They can pull the lever for you.
SPEAKER_00 (32:34):
Absolutely.
Please do.
SPEAKER_02 (32:35):
Sounds good.
SPEAKER_00 (32:35):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (32:36):
We will be doing that.
All right.
That's about it.
Make sure you vote for KathleenLehman, Republican candidate for
the Brooks County Common PleaseJudge.
Uh, yeah, I think she's gonnaget it.
I think she's in good shape.
What do you think, Hugo?
I think so too.
I think so.
All right, that's about it.
Come see us every Thursday at 7p.m.
right here.
Rad Wiseman Show.
All right.
Okay, here we go.
(00:00):
You ready?
SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (00:02):
Alright, here we go.
From real estate the market as awhole, which then sometimes will
affect the thing.
Right, you know the real life.
We all learn it.
If you think about it, WayneDyer might not attract everybody
and everything in between.
SPEAKER_04 (00:20):
Mission was really to help people just to reach
their full potential.
SPEAKER_02 (00:23):
The Brad Wiseman show.
And now your host, Brad Wiseman.
All right, we're back againtonight.
Thanks for checking us out everyThursday, Hugo.
SPEAKER_03 (00:35):
That's right.
SPEAKER_02 (00:36):
Every Thursday.
Are you getting sick of me?
SPEAKER_03 (00:39):
No, no.
SPEAKER_02 (00:39):
You're not?
How could I?
Oh, that's very sweet.
That's so sweet.
It's not what you were inviting.
SPEAKER_03 (00:44):
Not pay me my money.
Yeah, exactly.
I actually did get an invoicelast night.
SPEAKER_02 (00:48):
I guess that's why he said that.
Holy crap.
Um, but no, we got a repeatguest here today.
You know that?
SPEAKER_03 (00:54):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (00:54):
Yes, yes.
It's actually very interestingbecause um she was here just a
little bit ago.
I'm gonna say a couple monthsago, and uh she was going up for
a candidate to be judge, uh Comeand Please, I believe it is,
Come and Please Judge, uh, forBerks County.
She actually won uh theRepublican uh candidacy for um
(01:17):
Come and Please Judge, and shewill be going up against Eric
Taylor, who is the Democratcandidate.
So, Catherine Lehman, welcomeback to the studio.
SPEAKER_00 (01:25):
Thank you so much for having me back.
SPEAKER_02 (01:27):
Yes, this is great.
So, congratulations.
SPEAKER_00 (01:30):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (01:31):
Yeah, so I you know, we've talked a little bit since
then, couple couple differentplaces we we've bumped into each
other, and um that had to be anincredible night.
SPEAKER_00 (01:39):
It was.
SPEAKER_02 (01:40):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
It's stressful, um, but very rewarding.
SPEAKER_02 (01:44):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:45):
And we are just happy to be on the other side of
it.
SPEAKER_02 (01:48):
Yeah, I bet.
Um do you did you think that youwould win?
You won by a pretty good, prettygood amount, I would say.
SPEAKER_00 (01:56):
Did I think that I was going to win?
SPEAKER_02 (01:58):
Well, you knew you're gonna go, you know you're
you you go into it winning, Iwould think.
You're gonna win, you're gonnawin.
But was there a time that nightwhere you thought you weren't
gonna win?
SPEAKER_00 (02:08):
So I did my very best not to ever look at any of
the numbers until they werepretty close to being in.
But we got we had a watch party,and when we had our watch party,
I went in and I said to all myuh family and friends that were
there, whether we win or losetonight, I'm really proud of the
campaign that we ran.
I'm really proud of the workthat we put in from people that
(02:31):
we met who were like, Hey, howcan we help?
Like, you seem like an awesomeperson, and that just really
meant a lot to me.
SPEAKER_01 (02:38):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:38):
Um, so that night, sure, there's always that
possibility that you're notgoing to win, but I tried not to
look at anything until like mostof the precincts had reported
because Yeah, because it goesall over the place.
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (02:49):
And it's also because of different precincts
and how they're represented andthings like that.
Yeah.
But uh yeah, but it wasnerve-wracking.
Biting your nails, any kind ofthat kind of stuff?
SPEAKER_00 (02:59):
No, I was fairly calm, um, just because, like I
said, we did all the hard workthat we could do.
Um, there wasn't anything thatI, you know, thought back on
that said, oh, I wish I wouldhave done that, or I should have
put more energy into this.
SPEAKER_02 (03:11):
So when you got there, you were like, you know
what?
We did it all.
SPEAKER_00 (03:15):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (03:16):
If if this doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.
SPEAKER_04 (03:18):
That's a that's a great feeling to have to know it
that you gave it your best.
Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (03:22):
Because you can go to bed at night.
SPEAKER_00 (03:23):
Yes.
Knowing and so when my husbandand I decided that we were going
to to do this campaign, we said,we are going to run a clean
campaign, we are going to run aprofessional campaign, and we're
not going to ruin ourreputations.
We both have very goodreputations in the community,
and this campaign is going to bea reflection of that.
And so on May 20th, I felt veryconfident in the campaign that
(03:46):
we had put forward and knowingthat we were professionals
through and through, that wewere kind people through and
through, and that's all we coulddo.
SPEAKER_02 (03:54):
Yeah.
Because there was some mudslinging.
SPEAKER_00 (03:56):
There was.
SPEAKER_02 (03:57):
There was.
Hugo, did you hear about the mudslinging?
SPEAKER_03 (04:00):
But mud slinging.
What mud slinging.
SPEAKER_02 (04:02):
Do you know what that means?
SPEAKER_03 (04:04):
Yes, I I think so.
SPEAKER_02 (04:06):
Because you weren't sure about just ice.
So it wasn't.
That was a joke before we wentlive.
Yeah.
But no, because sometimes itdoesn't translate well,
whatever.
But mud sling.
There was.
There was some definitely somecontroversy, some drama and
things like that.
I think almost every election atsome point you're gonna have
that.
Uh, unfortunately.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (04:24):
Uh and I didn't realize that they were busting
on on the the good guy righthere in front of me.
That's unbelievable.
What did what could anybody buston guy for?
SPEAKER_00 (04:33):
Well, I'm not sure.
Um, one, he's not running foranything.
So This is true.
SPEAKER_02 (04:37):
That's right, yeah.
He'll run from something, butnot towards it, right?
SPEAKER_00 (04:40):
Well, you don't think he generally is running
towards danger, which we're veryappreciative.
That's right.
SPEAKER_02 (04:47):
Are you still like a cop or a fire department?
Or what you're you're all that.
SPEAKER_00 (04:52):
He's with the sheriff's office.
He's the captain.
SPEAKER_02 (04:53):
So you do run towards stuff.
SPEAKER_00 (04:55):
He's the captain of the warrants and the canine
unit.
So yeah, he runs uh towards alot of very serious situations.
SPEAKER_02 (05:01):
I run away.
I run away from that stuff.
That's what I do.
That's okay.
That's the same thing.
Yeah, that's right.
It's all right.
That's exactly right.
So so no, so uh we were whatwere you talking about there?
Oh, yeah, there was a lot ofthere was mudslinging and stuff
like that.
Did that calm down right afterthe election then?
SPEAKER_00 (05:13):
Yes.
Yeah, okay and that felt verygood.
Um my campaign neverparticipated in any mud
slinging, we were never part ofit.
We never said one bad word aboutany other candidate.
And that was something that wesaid from the very beginning.
SPEAKER_01 (05:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (05:28):
Um, when we decided to run, I said, I don't do that
in my personal life.
I'm not gonna do it in thiscampaign.
Um, and that was something thatmy team I made stick to.
That was the worst part ofrunning.
And every morning I would wakeup and the first thing I would
do was check Facebook and it wasfor negative comments.
And that really that's really ashame.
(05:49):
It's um because again, I'm notrunning on anything other than
my qualifications andexperience.
And if that resonates with thepublic and they want that in
their next judge, that's all Ican do.
SPEAKER_01 (06:03):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (06:04):
So that really the mudslinging really takes effect
on a person.
And you know, they say As muchas you try and ignore it, right?
Absolutely.
People can say ignore it, but itreally I'm not a terribly
emotional person in in that kindof aspect, but it still weighs
on you.
And people would send randompeople would say F you, like
send emails saying F you.
(06:24):
When of course they wereanonymous, but like That's
crazy.
SPEAKER_02 (06:27):
Yeah, you know, I don't even know you.
Yeah, it's not necessary.
SPEAKER_00 (06:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (06:31):
And also I think sometimes when you um when
somebody is is dissing somebodythat you care for, you know, you
it's a lot of times you can takeit yourself if it's about you,
but when you start busting on,they always say like I as as
somebody it's a a parent.
You know, when somebody somebodybusts on my kids, it's a lot
different than busting on me.
Right.
Or my wife.
If they bust my wife, if theybust on me, it's like, okay,
(06:54):
whatever.
You know, it's fine.
But when it gets to the nextlevel, that's not cool.
And I believe in that in allpolitics, you see people that
bring the children into um, youknow, into the the the whole uh
drama, and it's just not right.
SPEAKER_00 (07:07):
Right, it's not right, and like I said, it my
husband is not running foranything, so yeah, um I don't
understand why why we're I don'tmean this disrespectfully to
him, but why are we talkingabout him?
Oh man.
Um he's not running hisqualifications, his background,
whatever.
That's not I'm not gonna callhim every time I have to make a
decision.
Well, of course not.
(07:27):
Yeah, don't do that now.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (07:29):
Oh, of course she doesn't.
He's like she never has.
SPEAKER_00 (07:33):
But so all that to say, like you can say what you
want about me if you don't agreewith my experience, you don't
agree with my qualifications,you don't agree with what I
stand for.
That's fair game.
But he doesn't have the voice.
He does he's not coming on yourpodcast to explain his side of
the story.
And so I think that's reallyunfortunate way of politics.
SPEAKER_02 (07:51):
You know what was interesting too, I saw during
the last when when you gonethrough the elections, is
sometimes even you're not evenstirring the pot for the other
candidate.
It's people that are supportingyou that stir the pot.
Yes and you and you really can'tcontrol that.
Right.
That's a little tough.
But but it's it's like it'sanything in life.
If you can't control it, thenwhat are you gonna do?
(08:12):
That's the way it is.
Right.
That's the way it is.
So moving on.
So the mudslinging questionsover with, we're done with that.
So when is the next, when's thenext election?
SPEAKER_00 (08:19):
November 4th.
SPEAKER_02 (08:20):
November 4th.
SPEAKER_00 (08:20):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (08:21):
Okay, so getting back, who is now supporting you?
I do you still have the supportof John Adams and Eric Weeknick,
all those people?
SPEAKER_00 (08:27):
Yes.
Um, so John Adams, our districtattorney still supporting me,
Eric Weeknick, our staterepresentative.
And I recently, as of lastnight, received the county
fraternal order of policeendorsement.
SPEAKER_01 (08:40):
Oh, cool.
SPEAKER_00 (08:40):
Yeah, so that's a very exciting.
So I have the City of ReadingFraternal Order of Police, the
State Police, and now ourcounty.
And I also recently received thePlumbers Union endorsement.
Nice.
So that's really excitingbecause that usually goes to a
Democrat-leaning candidate.
And so I had the opportunity tospeak in front of them, and um,
(09:01):
I'm really honored to have that.
That's everyday lives.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (09:05):
You got that right.
You got that right.
I'm telling you what, plumbers,man, they get paid more than
anybody now these days.
Isn't it incredible?
Seriously.
You look what they make perhour, it's unbelievable.
Yes.
We need more people in thetrades.
It's definitely a little plugfor the trades.
So when you when you we canexplain this a little bit now,
because when when you were herelast time, we were telling
everybody, look, there's nothere's no Republican or
Democrat involved.
(09:26):
But what happened after theelection is that there was more
Republicans that voted for youthan Democrats.
But you also had a really goodturnout of Democrats voting for
you.
So that that's what determinedyou as being the Republican
candidate for, you know,Republican candidate for judge.
SPEAKER_00 (09:42):
That's correct.
SPEAKER_02 (09:43):
Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00 (09:44):
Yes.
So I had the most total votes,Democrat and Republican, but I
had more, I only had the mostRepublican votes, if that makes
sense.
So I am the Republicancandidate, but I did have a
decent amount of Democratcandidates, but my my one
opponent obviously received theDemocrat candidacy.
Sure.
So um and I'm really proud ofthat.
(10:06):
I'm really proud that I had themost overall because I'm not a
politically motivated person.
I am a do the right thingperson.
Um the court of common pleas, Ithink a lot of people get
confused on it.
It is a trial judge position.
So politics have zero place inthat courtroom.
So when they're you're coming infor a criminal case or you're
(10:27):
coming in for a custody case,you, the victim or the defendant
or whatever party you are inthat court system, you should
not know what party affiliationyour judge is.
And if you do, that judge isdoing something wrong.
SPEAKER_02 (10:41):
Yeah, yeah, I agree with you.
Yeah, and and it's fun.
I think what happens is in thespotlight is federal judges.
SPEAKER_00 (10:48):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (10:48):
And what we see in the media is the Supreme Court
justices and all this stuff.
And and what happens is I thinkthey everybody thinks that every
judge situation is the same way.
And it's not.
SPEAKER_00 (10:59):
It's not.
So the Superior Court andSupreme Court, even just in
Pennsylvania, you do know theirparty affiliation because they
are the ones makinginterpreting.
Interpreting.
That's not the position I'mrunning for.
You're not interpreting the law.
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (11:13):
You're you're you're saying somebody's guilty or not
guilty, but there's also the theyou have the we talked about
this, the jurors.
SPEAKER_04 (11:19):
The jury, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (11:19):
Yeah, the jury.
SPEAKER_00 (11:20):
Right.
I think the best way to explaincourt accompanies is most people
aren't coming into the courtsystem because they're either
victims of crimes or chargedwith a crime or going through a
divorce.
They're not.
That's generally people are notcoming into the courthouse.
Most people are coming into thecourthouse because they received
a summons to appear for juryduty.
SPEAKER_02 (11:39):
Uh yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:40):
The dreaded jury duty.
I don't dread it.
SPEAKER_02 (11:43):
I I think it's cool.
I mean, to me, it if I can get acouple days off and be be
involved in the way our systemworks, to me, it would be very
interesting.
SPEAKER_00 (11:52):
Well, we need more people like you.
SPEAKER_02 (11:53):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:54):
Um, but I think a lot of people feel that way
because they don't know what'sgoing to happen.
SPEAKER_01 (11:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:58):
And so it is a big decision to say one of your
fellow residents of Berks Countyis guilty of a serious crime.
Yeah.
That's a big deal.
SPEAKER_01 (12:08):
Yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_00 (12:09):
I don't mean to downplay it, but that's why I'm
running for judge.
Because we need a judge, and wehave very good judges, but
there's an open seat, and Ithink we need to fill that with
another judge who has trialexperience.
Because if you think about it asa scenario, you come in for jury
duty on and you don't know whatyou're coming in for, but when
you get to the courtroom, theysay, Oh, this individual is
(12:31):
charged with first degreemurder.
SPEAKER_01 (12:32):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:33):
Most people in Pennsylvania know that if I say
they're guilty, they're going tojail for the rest of their life.
Or it could be a death penaltycase.
That's a big deal.
SPEAKER_02 (12:42):
Yeah.
That's a pretty bigresponsibility.
SPEAKER_00 (12:44):
So you as the juror, you want to know all the
evidence.
SPEAKER_02 (12:48):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:49):
You want to make sure that the judge is allowing
the appropriate evidence in thatthey're excluding evidence that
shouldn't be used against thedefendant, that they understand
the rules of criminal procedure.
So that way we're proceedingaccordingly.
And that when it comes time tolisten to the jury instructions
on the law and put the factswith that law, that you have a
(13:11):
judge who can explain it becauseit's a big deal to say guilty or
not guilty, guilty for thatperson who's facing that charge
and not guilty for the victimand their family.
That's a huge weight onsomebody.
And I don't think you get ajudge who hasn't done those
things in court in front of ajury before.
(13:32):
So you have I practice the rulesof evidence every single day.
I go to court every day and I'mheld to a standard of being able
to admit evidence.
And it's not just like, hey, Iwant to introduce this and I
don't have the right people andthe rules don't allow for it.
You have to know, and you haveto be able, a judge has to be
able to make a decision on thespot and make sure it's going to
(13:54):
hold up by the superior court.
SPEAKER_02 (13:56):
Yeah.
Yeah, it's interesting.
Yeah, because that's you'reright, because then it's also
your reputation.
If it does get appealed or goesup to the to the superior court,
then that's and then it gets ifthat gets changed, then that
doesn't look good for you.
SPEAKER_00 (14:09):
It doesn't look good for me.
And guess what?
If we if I, as a prosecutor,make a really poor decision and
I get the judge to go along withsomething that shouldn't have
been admitted in, we're tryingthat case again.
Yeah.
That's a lot of money on thecourt system.
The tox pay, yeah.
Yeah, jeez.
Here we go.
Plus, like let's say that that Idid something wrong.
(14:30):
Well, now I've held someone injail for an extended period of
time who maybe shouldn't havebeen in jail in the first place.
SPEAKER_02 (14:36):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (14:36):
So the job is very serious.
SPEAKER_02 (14:39):
Why the hell do you want to do this?
I'm listening to this going, youshould just stick with where you
are.
SPEAKER_00 (14:48):
I want to do this because I love Berks County.
I grew up here and we needjudges because I want to go to
Target and be safe when I gothere.
And I want to I want my familyto be able to do that.
And I don't, you know, duringthis campaign, people are like,
oh, well, all the crime happensin the city.
That's not true.
SPEAKER_01 (15:06):
No, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (15:06):
And we need to be able to be safe.
And the only way we can do thatis by holding people
accountable.
Now, accountable means a lot ofdifferent things, but it always
means taking ownership forwhatever mistake you made.
SPEAKER_02 (15:19):
Yeah.
Um, and so it's interesting yousaid about the the if you ever I
always look in the newspaperwhen there's these big drug
busts, you know, things likethat.
And it's amazing how many peopledon't live in the city.
SPEAKER_01 (15:28):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (15:29):
In those drug busts.
You'll see Sinking Spring,you'll see Wulmelsdorf, you'll
see Rabazzoni, you'll see allthese different places, and it's
amazing.
But a lot of them are not in thecity.
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (15:40):
They're right, they're your neighbor.
They're your neighborhood.
Yes, yes.
But no, it's crazy.
It's really crazy.
So you speaking of that, youactually were the lead
prosecutor on Berks County'slargest fentanyl bus.
SPEAKER_00 (15:52):
That's correct.
That's incredible.
Yes, it was an awesomeexperience.
Um, we seized over four kilos offentanyl.
SPEAKER_02 (15:59):
Which could kill the whole county, probably.
SPEAKER_00 (16:01):
Oh, yeah, it only takes 0.03 grams.
Um, that's enough to fit in likeyour fingernail.
That is incredible.
And that's enough to kill you.
Um so we executed a searchwarrant, seized um four kilos of
fentanyl, a ton of cocaine, aton of synthetic.
So, and I don't I won't go offon a tangent too much, but I
(16:23):
don't know what you know aboutsynthetic cannabinoids.
Um, but they used to call itsynthetic marijuana.
SPEAKER_01 (16:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (16:28):
And it's a leaf that you put out and then they sp
spray it with formaldehyde.
And then and then people smokeit.
This individual was spraying itwith fentanyl.
So people who believe that theywere just going and buying
synthetic marijuana were buyingsynthetic cannabinoids that was
laced with fentanyl.
SPEAKER_02 (16:46):
So kill them, they're done.
SPEAKER_00 (16:47):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (16:47):
That's crazy.
Yes, unbelievable.
That's amazing.
Why and my thing I was thinkingabout with that, why do they
want to do that?
They're killing their customer.
You know what I mean?
Like that's like, hey, I'm gonnago buy an apple and I'm gonna
poison it.
Well, guess what?
I'm not buying any more applesthen.
SPEAKER_00 (17:01):
Unfortunately, sometimes fentanyl users, heroin
users, they build up a toleranceand that 0.03 won't kill them.
And so it gives them a differentthing.
SPEAKER_02 (17:11):
So they do build up a tolerance for that.
Oh, yeah.
Unbelievable.
SPEAKER_04 (17:14):
You know, you know what?
See what we're saying.
That maybe if I was a drugdealer, the reason why I will do
that is to introduce you to thedrug, maybe to get you hooked
into that.
SPEAKER_02 (17:24):
Yeah, I get it.
Yeah, and that's what they do.
SPEAKER_00 (17:25):
I that's we don't need any new ideas.
I saw, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_02 (17:32):
So uh Hugo's gonna be going to rehab next week.
Oh my goodness.
No, that's that's veryinteresting.
Very interesting.
So what um so you're candid.
You're you're the guy thatyou're going against.
Okay.
What's what are the differencesbetween the two?
I think a lot of it is the trialexperience that you're bringing
up.
That is that you have thatexperience, and your and your
(17:52):
opponent does not really havethat kind of experience.
SPEAKER_00 (17:55):
That's correct.
SPEAKER_02 (17:56):
Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00 (17:56):
Yeah, so I um we both worked in the public
defender's office or um I workedthere for five years.
I don't know exactly how long hewas over five years, so I don't
know exactly his years.
Um, and then I went to thedistrict attorney's office,
which is a different transition.
Um, but that kind of plays intomy social work background that
we talked a little bit aboutlast time.
SPEAKER_01 (18:16):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (18:17):
And so I'm the only candidate who's gone been a
district attorney.
I'm the only candidate who'sheld individuals accountable for
their actions, um, who'sprosecuted a case.
And the big thing about that iswhenever I go into the
courtroom, I have the burden.
The Commonwealth always bearsthe burden of proving someone
(18:37):
guilty.
And that's not an easy task.
And I don't mean to pat myselfon the back, but it's not an
easy task.
And I think even moreimportantly, is all of my
convictions have been upheld onappeal, meaning they've been
found guilty by a jury.
That individual appealed, andthe superior court said, nope,
(18:59):
the law was correct, and what Idid was correct.
And so I think that's really mybiggest selling point on me is
I'm following the law as it'swritten every single day.
Like again, this isn't apolitical thing for me.
This isn't a a stepping stone.
This is what I do every day.
SPEAKER_02 (19:15):
It's a pra you've been practicing this.
SPEAKER_00 (19:17):
Practicing it in the district attorney's office for
over nine years.
SPEAKER_02 (19:21):
As opposed to when somebody I mean, I know that
your opponent, I guess, is whatis it called?
A magisterial?
What is that the the district isit a district court or
something?
SPEAKER_00 (19:29):
So magisterial district justice is um just so
we know the difference betweenthe two two.
Magisterial district justice isthe lowest level, then the court
of common police, and then it'sthe superior court and supreme
court in Pennsylvania.
Magisterial district judge,they're all throughout Berks
County.
Yeah.
Um, in your area that you learn.
SPEAKER_02 (19:46):
That's where I used to go to evict tenants.
SPEAKER_00 (19:48):
Yes.
When you evict tenants onlybecause they weren't paying.
SPEAKER_02 (19:50):
It wasn't like I was like some badass or something.
No, it was when they weren'tpaying, and then I would have to
do and I didn't like doing it,but I would have to go there.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (19:58):
Yeah.
So and that you don't have to bea lawyer to do that position.
So anyone who lives in that areaand is an adult can run for
magisterial district judge.
SPEAKER_01 (20:08):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (20:08):
The Court of Common Please, like I said, is the
trial judge, and then SuperiorCourt reviews what the trial
court has done.
Gotcha, gotcha.
Yeah.
Wow.
So even Brad could be that kindof judge.
SPEAKER_02 (20:17):
Yeah, I could be uh Yeah, we don't want we don't
think I'm good.
SPEAKER_00 (20:21):
MDP.
SPEAKER_02 (20:22):
I don't think I'd like I don't think I'd like to
wear the robe.
I just so let's talk about that.
What's the deal with the robe?
SPEAKER_00 (20:29):
I don't know.
SPEAKER_02 (20:31):
Is that just from back in the George Washington
days?
Like that's what they wore?
Yeah, and then Thank God theygot rid of the guys wearing the
room.
SPEAKER_00 (20:37):
Well, I was told I have to do that.
SPEAKER_02 (20:39):
No, oh my God.
No, that's crazy.
I need one of those, but youknow, but no, but the robe is
just I I think in my mind when Iwas thinking about asking that
question earlier today, I waslike, yeah, what's the deal with
the robe?
And I think maybe what it is isis to differentiate you from
everybody else.
SPEAKER_00 (20:56):
Right.
And I think it's a symbol of impimportance, and I don't mean
that in import what you mean.
There's a a standard when youcome into the courtroom that you
know right.
SPEAKER_02 (21:06):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:07):
And unfortunately, I think we're getting away from
that.
So I like the the robe in thataspect.
Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_02 (21:12):
Oh no, I'm not saying I don't like it.
SPEAKER_00 (21:13):
No, I know, but I think I think, you know, so
often we've become so casual inthink about when COVID hit and
everyone was doing, you know,Zoom or Teams and people were
showing up in their pajamas.
And um, I'm sure everyone hasseen the video of the lawyer who
was couldn't change their filterfrom a cat, and and obviously
that was a a mistake, but we'vebecome so casual that I think
(21:36):
the courtroom is still somethingthat represents like the
seriousness of why you're inthere.
Because it's not a it's not acommonplace.
SPEAKER_02 (21:44):
And there is like a whole I've I've been in
courtrooms as as a witness, notas anything bad.
But um been in courtrooms andand it's you know, I think it's
cool how it's uh it's definitelya way that you address they
address the the judge and thingslike that.
And it's funny to see thatbecause you always think of
attorneys as being like, youknow, and all of a sudden
they're like, Your Honor.
(22:04):
Yes, they're like, you know,like cowering, Your Honor, yes,
sir, no, sir.
You know what I mean?
It's just funny.
Right.
But it's cool, it's a respect.
Yeah, yeah, I get it, totallyget it.
So uh any you have a question,don't you, there?
SPEAKER_03 (22:15):
I have many questions, but I'm going to
limit myself.
SPEAKER_02 (22:17):
You're not gonna do any more jokes, are you?
SPEAKER_04 (22:19):
No, no, no, no.
Uh okay.
Something I never understood wasum the different degrees when
when life is taken.
I know there's like murder,there's homicide, there's first
degree, there's second degree,but I never knew what makes one
or the other.
SPEAKER_00 (22:35):
Okay.
So one of the things you justsaid, murder and homicide,
they're kind of synonymous.
Homicide means the intentionalkilling by another.
Oh, okay.
So um, so suicide would be theintentional killing of oneself,
homicide is the intentionalkilling by another.
So murder of the first degree isthe intentional killing of
(22:57):
another person.
Uh, murder of the second degreeis, for instance, it's usually a
felony is committed and induring occurrence of that
felony, someone dies.
So, like you go in and you planto just rob the gas station.
And during the process, you endup killing the clerk.
Your plan wasn't to kill theclerk, but in the commission of
(23:20):
committing that robbery, you'vekilled the clerk.
Oh, okay.
It was not premeditated.
Right.
And then there's third-degreemurder, which is you caused the
death of someone else.
It wasn't premeditated, but youacted in with a cold heart, so
to speak, and they don't meanlike callous.
They mean like you weren'tplanning it, but you meant when
(23:43):
you fired that gun, you shouldhave known that it was going to
kill someone, but you didn'tmean like you didn't set out
that day to go kill that person.
Gotcha.
SPEAKER_02 (23:52):
Gotcha.
SPEAKER_00 (23:53):
So they call it a wickedness of the heart.
SPEAKER_02 (23:55):
Okay.
Wickedness of the heart.
There's one.
Yeah, don't do that.
SPEAKER_00 (23:58):
It's like a subject.
SPEAKER_02 (23:59):
Don't do that, Hugo.
No, no.
No wickedness of the heart overthere.
SPEAKER_04 (24:03):
Now, I have one more question.
When I have always thought ingrowing up in Guatemala, the
exposure to both the crimes andthe processing of the of the
perpetrator was a little bitmore raw.
And I always I always thought,like, uh is there is there such
(24:23):
a thing as as um exposing, isthere such a thing as a program
to show young men theconsequences of of certain
actions?
Because I always thought, youknow, I was exposed to that in
Guatemala.
But here I I I don't know ifit's if there's there's some
things that for whatever reasonit cannot be done.
(24:44):
But I was I when police came tomy school to speak, it was it
was serious and it it made mereally open my eyes.
I wonder if there's you meanlike kind of telling them what
what what happens if you do thisas a yeah or even allowing them
to come into the courtroom tosee sentencing or something like
that.
I don't know, but it was it wasjust a thought.
(25:05):
It's a good good question.
SPEAKER_00 (25:06):
It's um we don't do a and I don't know why, to be
honest with you.
I think that's a great point.
We do um the district attorney'soffice does go into schools and
we talk about um unfortunately,we have to talk a lot about a
teenager sending naked images ofthemselves or their kids don't
get that, yes, and theeverlasting consequences of of
(25:29):
doing that.
So that's really where we do alot of our outreach because
there's just so many It happensall the time.
Yeah, it happens all the time.
It's um can put you on the sexoffender registry and you can be
16 years old and really haveruined your life um because you
technically have sent childpornography.
SPEAKER_02 (25:50):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (25:50):
Um and so imagine students dead just that just
happened recently at a school.
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (25:56):
There's a there's uh obviously no names or anything
like that, but um yeah, it'sthere's a guy that that's
getting nailed with that.
And it was they did pictures,they did, you know, other
things, and it's just stupid.
SPEAKER_00 (26:06):
Yeah, and obviously I'm not talking about the the
situations where a teacher or astaff member might be
inappropriate, but like you're16 having a relationship with a
15-year-old, and you're that'sit, you're screwed.
And so we do a lot of outreachas as it relates to that type of
crime.
Um, I do think, and maybe I'mmaybe I'm wrong on it, but I do
think that a lot of people knowin Pennsylvania, like in Berks
(26:29):
County, the consequences forshooting a gun or like a murder,
something like that.
Most people seem to know likethat's a life sentence.
SPEAKER_02 (26:40):
And um But for other things, I think you're right.
Like just like stealing and likestuff that's stealing or getting
into drugs and getting caughtwith drugs.
What does that mean?
What does that look like?
I mean, it's not like you'reyou're not killing somebody, but
I think sometimes maybe kidsdon't know, or young adults
don't miss that know that you'rescrewing up your life.
SPEAKER_00 (26:59):
So I actually had a case um where it was a teenager
charged with with first degreemurder, and there were three of
them, and and two fired down themiddle of the street, and one of
them I had the opportunity tospeak to, and I said, What if
someone would have walked out oftheir house or like a car was
driving by and they said, Oh, Inever thought about that.
And I'm believable.
(27:20):
But that's the the problem.
They were 16 years old, and thethought that their bullet won't
go to their intended targetrather than hit someone randomly
was really crazy.
It's crazy.
SPEAKER_04 (27:34):
Catherine, Catherine, one last question.
I know one last question.
So are are you either as aprosecutor or as a judge, will
you have the opportunity, youknow, how whenever, despite your
position, your involvement inthe case, that you want to talk
to that person, whether it's theperpetrator or the victim, not
as uh not as uh an officialposition, but just from human to
(27:55):
human.
Like when you see, you know, thethe shame or or you know what a
shame it is that a person areyou as a persecutor allowed to
say, hey, to give a personal mmessage or to have a personal
conversation?
SPEAKER_00 (28:10):
So I can't talk to somebody if they're represented
by a defense attorney.
But one of the things, and andlike I said, we did I'm pretty
sure we discussed it last timeis I actually was a social
worker before I went to thepublic defender's office, and
then I went to the DA's office.
And the reason I switched fromthe public defender's office to
the district attorney's officeum is because I was still
relying on someone else in thedistrict attorney's office to
(28:32):
make a good decision for what Iperceived as someone who had a
fighting chance at life and theywere just still at a bad hand
initially.
SPEAKER_01 (28:40):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (28:41):
So um, what I do now is if that defense attorney can
bring me something and saying,hey, this 18-year-old is really
trying hard, this is theirsituation, yeah.
What do you want from them?
I generally say, I want them,you know.
I've had a unfortunately I'vehad a couple 18-year-olds who
are still high school students.
So I say, I want them tograduate.
I want them to have a plan forafter they graduate.
(29:03):
I don't care what the plan is,military, vocation, college, go
right into the they have to havea plan in place.
And then from there, what is itthat caused that underlying
behavior?
Because if we just put them in ajob, well, we're we haven't
addressed the issue.
So what is it that's causingthem to be in this situation?
(29:24):
And that's where my social workcomes into play.
And that's something that noteveryone in our office handles
it that way, but that'ssomething that I hope to be able
to bring to the bench because itgreat.
That was rehabilitation.
Right.
It has to be about that.
SPEAKER_02 (29:38):
Yeah.
Otherwise, they're just it'sjust a revolving door.
It keeps coming in and goingout.
SPEAKER_00 (29:42):
If you put someone in jail for one month, what does
that do?
It makes them lose their house,it makes them lose their job,
and now we as taxpayers aresupporting that.
So let's find the appropriateremedy.
I'm not saying that people won'tgo to jail.
I've put a lot of people in jailfor a lot of and I'm very I
don't want to say I'm proud ofit.
Well, there's people thatbelieve that.
SPEAKER_02 (30:00):
I mean that's some of the problem today in our
society is that I think we gotoo far the other way sometimes.
We're letting people out.
SPEAKER_00 (30:07):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (30:08):
You know, the no cash bail and all that stuff you
hear about, you know.
It's just not it it doesn'twork.
SPEAKER_00 (30:13):
It does not work.
And those people who and I thinkthat is a huge thing that sets
me apart from my opponent.
I do not agree with those bailconditions.
We had an individual at theBerkshire Mall who raped a
16-year-old.
SPEAKER_01 (30:28):
Ugh.
SPEAKER_00 (30:28):
That guy got out the same day he was arranged.
SPEAKER_02 (30:31):
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00 (30:32):
That's unacceptable.
SPEAKER_02 (30:33):
That's that was the imagine that being your
16-year-old.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (30:36):
That is a threat to our community.
SPEAKER_02 (30:38):
Absolutely.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (30:39):
Those are not the individuals I'm I'm talking
about in terms of I gotcha,yeah.
You know, but those sufferingfrom drug addiction and mental
health, like let's get themtreatment.
So we're not figured out.
You know, we as taxpayers aren'tcontinuing to support that.
SPEAKER_02 (30:51):
Yeah, no, it's good stuff.
Good stuff.
There you go.
So to wrap this up, why don'tyou, you know, if you want to
give us your um, you know, yourcandidate speech or you want to
just say a couple things to tothe audience and say, hey, this
is why you should vote for me orwhatever, that'd be great.
SPEAKER_00 (31:05):
Sure.
So um one, thank you very muchfor having me back on.
SPEAKER_02 (31:09):
You're very welcome.
SPEAKER_00 (31:09):
Um, but I think most importantly, this is a trial
judge position.
And so when you come into court,you want a judge who has been
there, who's done it, whounderstands the law, and can
explain it to you in a way soyou are making, as a juror,
making an informed decisionbecause somebody's life on
either side is on the in thebalance there.
(31:30):
Um, whether it's family court orcivil court, if you have a
business, you want a judge whocan explain the law so you are
getting you know that you'regetting a fair shake.
Uh family court, the samesituation.
You don't want a judge who'sparty politics.
And you want someone who hasheld the burden and owned the
burden and done it successfully.
And again, my convictions havenever been overturned.
(31:53):
I've been involved in over 50murder cases.
SPEAKER_01 (31:55):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (31:56):
That's a lot of murder cases.
Too many.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (31:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (31:59):
Um, and so I think that trial experience really
sets me apart from my opponent.
SPEAKER_01 (32:05):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (32:06):
And I think, again, like I said, well, like you
said, we can't have these cashbail situations.
We need to be, you know, holdingindividuals accountable.
SPEAKER_02 (32:15):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Well, I I think, I mean, you gotmy vote.
I think we said that before.
You got my vote.
I appreciate you coming backtoo.
Thank you.
And I wish you the best.
November 4th.
SPEAKER_00 (32:24):
November 4th.
SPEAKER_02 (32:25):
Get out and vote.
And that's everybody in thecounty can vote.
SPEAKER_00 (32:28):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (32:28):
Everybody in the county.
SPEAKER_00 (32:30):
Democrat, independent, republican, doesn't
matter who you are.
SPEAKER_02 (32:32):
They can pull the lever for you.
SPEAKER_00 (32:34):
Absolutely.
Please do.
SPEAKER_02 (32:35):
Sounds good.
SPEAKER_00 (32:35):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (32:36):
We will be doing that.
All right.
That's about it.
Make sure you vote for KathleenLehman, Republican candidate for
the Brooks County Common PleaseJudge.
Uh, yeah, I think she's gonnaget it.
I think she's in good shape.
What do you think, Hugo?
I think so too.
I think so.
All right, that's about it.
Come see us every Thursday at 7p.m.
right here.
Rad Wiseman Show.
All right.
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